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Math! For most children might as well be a four letter word. Many companies have tried to incorporate math training into games in order to help with memorization. Many of these "edutainment" games, like the classic Number Munchers, are burned in our memory as fun distractions from the drag of school. The developers of Math Ninja have given me an opportunity to try this new education title, and see if it can live up to the classic while also helping teach math.
The game is set up in a linear fashion with each level beginning with a cut scene of your nemesis (a tomato). He gives clues to what he will unleash on you in order to steal some tasty treats you have hidden inside your tree house. Luckily, you are a ninja, or more specifically, a math ninja.
Each level consists of a barrage of enemies attempting to reach, and then destroy, your tree house. You kill the enemies by tapping on them and that in turn, fires one of several weapons you have available. After a wave of attacks, you will have to answer a series of math problems in order to earn money, which is used to purchase new weapons, upgrade existing weapons, and increase your tree house’s health. Once you have defended against another wave of attacks, you are faced with your tomato antagonist, and will have to deal damage to him by correctly answering math problems.
The weapons each have their own style, and you find a use for each in defeating the various types of enemies you face as the levels increase. There are options to upgrade weapons, or simple increase your supply of them, which leaves you to decide, "Do I need a faster, or more powerful attack, or do I need more ammo?"
The game offers three difficulty settings which change the time you are given to answer a problem. You can select what type of arithmetic you want to practice (subtraction, addition, multiplication, or division), and the problems are generally ones you will be able to work out in your head.
When I began reviewing this game I was a little put off by the simple, child-like graphics, and silly, paper thin, story. Surprisingly, as I continued to play I was amazed at the addictiveness this game has. The math is never too much of a distraction from the action, but strikes a good balance between the fun and the learning. The upgrades draw you to finish another level, and the progression of difficulty is not so much as to discourage the younger audience that this game is geared toward. In fact, this game is a fantastic example of fun learning and would be a great addition to those children that have iPhone/iTouch.
While Math Ninja will never take the place in my heart for Number Munchers (pause to wipe a tear from my eye), it stands as a great education game for math practice.
